The reign of King Scar
by Eskarina
Summary: A 'what if scar had lived' story, telling of how things may have happened if Scar had lived through the end of TLK 1 Also includes what I think would have happened with his cubs.
1. The New Kingdom

I don't own the lion king, do I look rich to you? - this is my first lion king fic and it takes place directly after the end of the first movie, written for my sister who wondered how it would have happened had Scar lived. First fic, be nice, you. There are more chapters to come, but i wanna see what kind of reaction i get from this first.

Scar's eyes widened in terror as the hyena's began to swarm him, biting and clawing at every inch of him, intent on eating him alive, and the battle with Simba had left him weak, he knew that this would be the end of his reign…

"NO!" a voice snarled.

Scar looked up as he felt the hyena's knocked from his body, and saw that a lioness, large with a cub within her, was stood between him and the hyenas. He knew this lioness.

"Zira." He said softly.

She turned her head to give him a quick glance. She was assessing his injuries, Scar knew, so she knew if he could get up. He struggled to his feet and crouched beside her, ready to fight if need be.

"We must retreat." She purred to him, glaring at the hyenas, which were beginning to back down their shapes disappearing in the fire that surrounded them, they knew better than to take on two angry lions.

Scar nodded, "To the outlands…" He gasped, memory jogging. "Where are the cubs?" he knew precisely what would happen if the cubs were found while Simba was in power, he would kill them, any offspring of Scar's was worthless and a potential to him.

Zira's own amber eyes lit up with fear, "Inside!" she let out a growl and moved to climb the cliff face, but Scar leapt in her way.

"You get out of here, I'll get them." He growled, turning towards his old cave, he knew of a passage that led to the throne room, and if he ran, he felt he could make it. He knew that running while so badly injured would probably only serve to hurt him more, also he could feel his lungs starting to fill with smoke and he had a feeling that the hyenas had given him a dozen new scars all over his body.

She frowned, "But-"

Scar's eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth, "Zira, I will not let you jeopardise the life of the cub inside you. Now GO!" he snarled, using his power as a male to frighten her into submission, he was no prime example of a lion, but when push came to shove, she couldn't fight the instinct to please him.

And Zira, snarling to herself, left, racing off through the pride lands, A few other lionesses followed her. Scar almost smiled, Zira really was a good choice for a queen, she was ruthless and ambitious, like him, but with a softer side to her that only he saw.

As he raced through the clouds of smoke towards his cave, memories of his first night as king came flooding back to him. Many of the lionesses had stayed by Sarabi and Sarafina in their grief, but while he lay in the throne room, quietly contemplating his New Kingdom, Zira had appeared in the cave mouth.

"Prince Taka." She had purred, a playful smirk upon her face, "You always bragged about being king one day, despite your big brother's jokes."

Scar had raised his head, no-one had called him Taka since he was an adolescent lion, and only one of his playmates as a cub had ever dignified him with 'prince'.

"Zira." He had stated, sitting up to watch her sleek form move into the cave. "I haven't seen you since we were children… you've… grown."

Admittedly, Zira was not was most lions would consider conventionally beautiful, she was very thin and pale in comparison to the others, her dark-rimmed eyes somewhat disturbing and the thin black stripe down her back marking her as a mongrel.

But to Scar she possessed confidence and pride, and she was the perfect shape for a hunter. What was more, she had always respected him, even when they were children and Mufasa had mocked Scar for wanting to be king.

"So have you." She purred, admiring his long dark mane and vibrant green eyes, yes he was thin, but she thought the thinness could be put down to malnourishment, a problem easily solved now he would be getting the lion's share of food. "I know he was your brother, and you must be in mourning, but I'm rather glad you're king at last."

Scar and grinned then, and rubbed his head against hers in a friendly manner when she came close enough.

"Between old friends, so am I." He growled playfully. "One thing, though. I'm not Prince Taka, I'm King Scar… but in your case, you may call me Scar."

Zira had purred to herself, and began to make her way out, "Thank you Scar… what will you call me?"

Scar looked her over a few times, in the moonlight that shone through the cave mouth her figure was clearly outlined, and she was beautiful. He nodded at her slightly torn ear, "Notch."

She smiled and began to walk away, when the king called after her; "The moonlight becomes you, my dear." And she had lifted her head up with pride.

When she had left, Scar had began to muse to himself for the first time since he decided to take the throne that every king needs a queen.

The lion burst into the throne room, luckily Simba and his lionesses were busy outside, but there still wasn't much time, he knew the cubs were bright enough to hide during times of war, with any luck they were still here.

"Nuka! Vitani!" He snarled, and sure enough, two frightened cubs ran to him. One a scraggly version of himself, short black mane just starting to sprout. The other barely more than a kitten, and the very image of her mother.

"Daddy, what's happening?" Nuka whimpered, wrapping himself around Scar's front paws.

Scar frowned, "No time to explain. Get on my back." He leant down and lifted the kitten in his mouth, he felt the weight of his son on his back, and raced off as fast as his ageing bones would carry him. Say what you will about Scar, but his light frame made him perfectly built for speed, and it wasn't long before he caught up with the lionesses. It had begun to rain by this point, putting out the fires and clearing the air somewhat.

With a gasp, he placed Vitani at Zira's paws, and allowed Nuka to slide off his back, before sighing and collapsing on the muddy earth himself.

"Daddy?" Nuka whined, tugging at Scar's ear. Zira pulled the cub to her side and leant her head down to rub against Scars.

"Taka?" She whispered, a rare flurry of fear appearing in her voice "How badly does it hurt? Can you walk?"

Scar opened one eye weakly. "I will recover. Let me rest." He closed his eyes again and let out another low sigh. "And I told you, my name is Scar, Notch."

Zira smiled and let out a purr, she knew he would be all right if he was referring to her by that pet name. She nuzzled him again, "Anything you want, your majesty."

Several other lionesses moved forwards, leaning their own heads down as if to nuzzle him, but Zira gave a low snarl if they came too close. She turned on them, vicious even after a defeat.

"Stay away from my mate." She growled.

Scar almost laughed, despite the ache in his chest, "Your mate, am I?" he knew as well as Zira that they had never had the royal ceremony to officially mark her as queen, head lioness of the pride and Scar's only mate. Mostly because they both knew Sarabi would have kicked up a huge fuss at having to step down. Even as a cub Sarabi had acted snootily, convinced she would be queen one day, and that had enraged both Zira and Scar.

Zira began to lick at one of his wounds on his back, "After two cubs and another on the way I'd better be your damn mate."

"Mama, will he be okay?" a thin voice cut into their conversation.

She lifted her head from tending to Scar's wounds and looked down at her scraggly cub, "Yes my little Nuka. He will be alright… but don't bother him now, let your father rest." She laid herself down beside the fallen king, rain be dammed, they couldn't move just yet. "I think we should all rest. It has been a long day." She spotted her female kitten was pressing her nose to her father's cheek, making little meowing noises.

"Vitani, come away." She started to chide, but Scar cut her off.

"No." He purred, "let her stay." He reached one weakened paw up to the cub and lifted her onto his head, where she let out little purrs and rubbed her head in his thick mane.

Zira smiled and allowed Nuka to press up against her pregnant stomach, then nuzzled up to rest beside her mate. Slowly the other lionesses who had fled pride rock, loyal to Scar, did the same, but maintained their distance from their royal family.


	2. The birth of a prince

Still don't own TLK. Yes I know in the movie Kovu isn't Scar's son, personally I don't buy that, So that makes Kiara and Kovu incestual, that's really not an issue for lions.

"…That was mine…" Scar snarled, staring at the distant pride rock. He could hear the sounds of celebration, a sure sign that Simba and Nala had just been officially married. He growled. "I will have your head, Simba…"  
"Daddy!"

The cry and the sudden feeling of little claws in his tail made Scar sit bolt upright; he turned and glared at his son, "Nuka! Shouldn't you be with your mother?"

Nuka, the first born cub of Scar's reign, was widely regarded among the pride as a good idea gone wrong. If he was to be the king when Scar passed, they were all in real danger. It wasn't that the cub meant to cause trouble, it just seemed to follow him around, much like the horde of termites and the odd smell.

When the cub had been born, he had been so proud, shortly after he took control of pride rock he and Zira had set up a little private place of their own in Scar's old cave, and that was where she had bore Nuka. The two had been worried at first, he was such a small kitten that they thought he may die, but somehow the cub had struggled through the night and by daybreak it was clear the cub meant to live. Scar had thought this was a sign the boy would be strong and make a good heir, a decision he rapidly came to regret. Still, he was his son, and Scar attempted to care for him despite his obvious flaws as an heir.

Nuka smiled dopily, "I wanted to come with you." He gave Scar a look of deep admiration and continued to speak, "And Vitani wouldn't stop bugging me." He rolled his eyes and nodded at the little tan-coloured kitten, which was sitting behind him smiling.

"I was not buggin ya!" She protested, pushing past him and threading her sleek body around Scar's legs while purring loudly. "Mama said we oughta leave cuz she feels like she's gonna have our lil brother."

Scar's face was blank for a second, then he stood up, "Zira is giving birth?" not wanting to miss the birth of his third cub as he had the last two, due to duties as a king, he snatched Vitani up in his mouth and began racing back to their lair, hoping Nuka could keep up, because he certainly wasn't giving him a ride.

At the lair, he skidded to a halt and dropped Vitani unceremoniously on the ground outside the cave that he and Zira had found and claimed as their own. It bore a striking resemblance to pride rock, but on a much smaller scale. He could smell Nuka close behind them, so no reason to worry for him, and raced inside.

It was already over, as it turned out. Zira was lying quite complacently on her side, she looked exhausted.

"Zira?" Scar questioned, nudging her head with his nose gently, "How are you?"

She opened her eyes, "Hello, my king." She smiled as he nuzzled her, enjoying the feel of his mane against her fur. "You needn't worry, it is a healthy kitten, and I am just tired."

Scar smiled, "Good. Where is the cub?"

Zira rolled her eyes, but didn't speak unkindly; "Do lions know nothing?" She nodded at her stomach, "Feeding."

Scar moved around her to look at the little brown cub that was feeding at his mother. It had a tiny sprinkling of black fur on its forehead.

"A boy." He said, almost awed. "An heir."

Zira lifted her head, "What about Nuka?"

For a second Scar looked at her with an expression of pure disgust. "Zira, don't think I don't care for the boy, but… you have seen him, yes? You can't possibly fail to smell him."

Zira smiled and laughed, "I know… well, do not name an heir yet. Let Nuka grow, perhaps he will impress you."

"Somehow I rather doubt that. But if it's what you want." Scar leant down and rubbed his head on hers, "I will let him grow, my queen."

"Daddy! Daddy look!" Nuka shrieked from the cave entrance, he sounded muffled, and his sister was laughing hysterically.

Scar sighed and made his way to the entrance. Nuka was sitting with his tail in his mouth, grinning like an idiot.

"Look! I caught my tail!"

"…Wonderful. I'll notify the rest of the pride." Scar muttered, turning back towards his mate. "Come on you two, you have a brother to meet."

...Some weeks later...

Scar smiled and turned to lay on his back in the rising sun. It really wasn't so bad out here, once you got used to it. The food was a bit scarce, but once the cubs grew they wouldn't need as much anyway, and it was amazing how easy alligators went down when attacked by four lionesses. And Scar did his bit in the hunting too, for the moment, he couldn't afford to enforce the gender roles, they needed food. And yes, they had less water, but he could cope with that, if they organised a rota of who was allowed to drink and when. And he did at least have the loyal pride including several hyenas that had decided to cut their losses and re-join him, and his dear mate, and-

"Daddy?"

-his main source of happiness, out here in the wilderness, his cubs.

He lifted his head, "What is it Vitani?"

The little lioness cocked her head on one side, "Are you still king of the pride lands?"

Scar groaned and rolled back onto his front, shaking the dust from his coat, "No, Vitani, I'm not."

She walked over to sit beside him, trying, Scar noted, to mirror his position and expression. "Are you king of… where ever we are?"

"I suppose so, yes." He replied, swishing his tail in slight annoyance at being king of such a god-forsaken place. "Why the questions?"

Vitani looked up at her father her face full of innocence; "I wanted to know if I'm still a princess."

There was a momentary silence between the two, then Scar reached his paw over to pull the cub to him, holding her while tried to comprehend this odd fatherly feeling of having failed her. "Of course, little one." He nuzzled her, his head bigger than her entire little body. "You're _always_ going to be a princess, certainly to me."

The lioness giggled and batted playfully at his ear, "That's good then. I like bossing the other lions about."

Scar chuckled, "My little girl." He stood up, "Well, come on, I suppose it's about time the new prince was named and presented." He began to reach to pick her up, but she dodged away.

"You'll go faster if you don't have to carry me." She chirped, and began running towards the cave, Scar at her heels. Neither noticed the commotion that was rising with the dawn in the pride lands, or the sound of a song that indicated new blood in the royal family.

Dark-furred lionesses and a few hyenas that had been forgiven crowded around the rock that jutted out at an angle from their king's cave.

They lifted their heads as the young prince and princess walked out fist, standing to either side of the rock and staring into the dark entrance, waiting.

Out walked the queen, thinner than most remembered her, but still a picture of feminine power, every inch royalty. She stood between her two cubs, slightly to one side to allow her subjects the sight that followed.

Their king, again, thinner, not as strong as he had been in the pride lands, but he still carried himself with dignity, he was still a king. In his jaws, he carried a bundle of brown and black fur. As he reached his queen and children, he placed this kitten at the end of their pride rock.

It blinked and stared down at the creatures who bowed at him and let out a small meow of confusion. The lionesses roared and the hyenas did their best to make some noise and make the outlands aware of the fact that a prince had been born.

Zira pulled the cub back as the noise stopped, letting it nuzzle her feet. "He needs a name."

Scar nodded, watching the kitten, "Not Taka, before you ask."

Zira smiled wickedly, "Alright, then he shall be called Kovu." She rubbed her head against her mate, "I told you I wanted a son named for you, and I always get my way."

"Mow!"

Scar smirked at the kitten. It had pounced on his foot. "…He shall be my heir." He glanced at Nuka and Vitani. "You two will reign alongside your brother one day, but he will be king. You will be advisors and companions for him. That's still an important job." He spoke with honestly, not wanting his cubs to end up fighting and killing one another for the throne.

Vitani beamed with pride, but Nuka looked unsure.


	3. Prince Nuka the Clown

Still don't own it. I noticed That Nuka has a funny tail, thought I'd put some explanation in for why it's all bent like that. I know it's similar to the start of the first movie, it's supposed to be a cute homage thing.

Grinning, Kovu stretched in the sunrise, then turned and scampered into his family's cave, leaping over the lesser lionesses and occasionally stepping on a hyena in his hurry to reach his father, who slept at the very back, separate from the other creatures in there, his queen at his side.

"Daaad!" Kovu whined, nudging the sleeping lion, "Dad, wake up!" He grabbed one ear and tugged it. "Get up, we gotta go!"

Zira growled in her throat and nudged her mate beside her. "Your son is awake."

Scar didn't move, "We agreed before sunrise he's your son."

"No," she snarled, "That was Nuka."  
"You're quite welcome to Nuka all day." Scar muttered.

"Dearest, do you want to baby-sit Nuka all day?" Zira growled as her youngest cub began to head-butt his father, nudging her in the process.

"Good god no." Scar snapped, trying to remain asleep.

Zira sat up and snarled into his ear, "Then get up and deal with Kovu!"

Scar groaned and lifted himself up, holding Kovu off with one paw, "As is blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes, I'm up, Kovu." He yawned and stretched. "Are your siblings ready?"  
Kovu nodded, "But Nuka said he didn't want to come." The cub turned and ran to the entrance of the cave, "C'mon dad, the sun's rising!"

Scar sighed and stretched, slinking out into the rising sun, where Kovu and his sister Vitani were waiting. Scar didn't question why Nuka didn't want to be there, he was becoming a juvenile lion, and had started trying to hunt alone. He never brought home anything but injuries.

Scar mused as he walked away from the cave, that his eldest son was very quickly turning into a major embarrassment for the entire family. Even the two cubs who rolled around in front of him, play-fighting, sometimes hung their heads in shame when Nuka came back to the pride limping and bleeding with nothing to show for his cuts and bruises. Still, Scar tried to ignore it, Nuka was his son, and blood was thicker than water.

Scar led the two playful cubs over to a fallen tree trunk and climbed up it to the highest point, waiting calmly for the two to reach him. When they did, he began to speak.

"Kovu, Vitani, everything you see before you is our kingdom. One day, I will pass on, and it will be your joint duty to ensure we remain in power."

Kovu frowned in confusion at the deadened landscape, ending with an almost dry river. "But dad, what about all that light place over the river?"

Scar's claws gripped the ground. "That was ours too, once. But I was usurped from my throne by a lion named Simba. Now we must remain here, but we still have noble blood, we are still royalty."

Vitani smiled and nuzzled her father's leg, but Kovu seemed more confused, "Why would I wanna be king of this place? It's all dead!"

Scar snarled and pinned the cub to the ground with one paw, "Because, Kovu, the outlands are OURS. They may not be very attractive, but we don't turn our backs on something just because it's not perfect. I mean, look at your older brother!" he lifted his paw from the trembling cub, remembering at the last minute that the child meant no harm by what he said. "Remember, my children, you must never try to face a pride lander alone. Take others with you, and even then, use every dirty trick you can think of to fight them." He sighed and stared at Pride rock, wondering if Simba had cubs of his own, if he was telling the little nitwits to always be on their guard for outlanders.

"So one day the whole outlands will be mine?" Kovu asked, obviously trying to get back into his father's favour.

Scar nodded, "Yes," he leapt down from the tree and looked up at the two, "Come along, I'll tell you everything you must know about being king."

Kovu looked at his sister, who smiled and nodded, "You go ahead Kovu, he's talkin to you."

Kovu grinned and leapt down on the branches and landed beside his father, purring with glee at being the favoured one.

The two lions began to walk slowly through their kingdom, there were no grasslands or herds of antelopes here, but the place did have a kind of serene peace. There was no noise of fighting, because the pride saved their energy for hunting, so there was a silence here that made it much easier to speak.

Scar was just going over the finer details of making sure not to over-hunt anything when there came an ear-splitting scream from the river that joined the two lands. Scar frowned in confusion and ran towards their only water supply, kicking up dust as he did and almost causing his young son to loose sight of him.

He peered over the edge of the bank and groaned. He needn't have ran so quickly, it was Nuka who was shrieking like a girl.

He was desperately trying to climb up the bank, but was being held back by a highly amused Alligator, who was chewing on his tail thoughtfully.

"DAAAAD!" Nuka screamed into his father' face as he managed to pull himself up a little further. "IT'S GONNA EAT ME!!!" his eyes had gone wide and almost psychopathic to look at and his scraggly mane was stuck upwards in terror.

Scar's expression didn't change, "I rather doubt that, Nuka. It doesn't look like it needs an upset stomach." He sighed, "Well, I suppose we'll have to cut the end of your tail off…" he almost smirked when the juvenile lion screamed again and began to pull harder at the ground. "If you keep doing that you're going to loose the end of it anyway."

"HELP MEEEEE!"

"In good time." Scar looked down at Kovu, who was obviously struggling not to burst into a fit of hysterics. "Now then, this is a prime example of why lions do not hunt alone. In fact, if there were more lionesses, you wouldn't have to hunt at all, but at the moment, you'd better remember to take someone with you when you hunt." He raised an eyebrow at the whimpering lion, "Stop that, it can't hurt that badly."

"Its gonna eat me!" Nuka repeated, resorting to squeaky mouse-voices.

Scar rolled his eyes, "Kovu, how do you think we should get him out of this?" Scar mentally added '_Assuming we want to.'_

Kovu appeared thoughtful for a moment, concentrating on his struggling brother and the gator below him.

"He's gotta go limp, like he's dead, then it won't want him cuz he smells like he's gone off." Kovu replied.

"IF I GO LIMP IT'LL EAT ME!" Nuka wailed.

Scar sighed, bored of this situation, "Fair enough, come on Kovu." He turned to walk away and Nuka's wails increased.  
"OKAY I'LL TRY! I'LL TRY! DON'T LET IT EAT MEEE!!" he screamed like a siren, then released his grip on the bank and tumbled backwards towards the gator. He landed on a small patch of mud by the water, and the two lions watched as the big reptile sniffed him a couple of times, then made a face and slunk away into the water.

Mere seconds later, Nuka had raced up the bank and was examining his now very bent tail.

"Maybe it'll stick that way!" Kovu chirped, poking the fluff at the end and watching his brother whimper.

Nuka's eyes widened, "It won't!" he turned to look at the unimpressed Scar, "will it?"

"Probably, yes. That'll teach you not to be stupid." Scar growled, "Go back to your mother, she'll find something useful for you to do. You are not to go hunting again without my express permission." He turned, "Come along Kovu." And the two left Nuka alone by the water.

And so it ended up that Nuka was appointed Kovu's babysitter until he could learn to stop looking for trouble.

"…I'm sick of gator." Zira snarled, clawing at the carcass of their latest kill, trying to get through the leathery hide. "Too much work for meat that tastes like fish."

Scar nodded, chewing on his one share, "It's revolting." He dropped the meat and watched some hyenas fight over it. "Remember when we ruled the pride lands, and we had zebra every night?"

"Or antelope." Zira added, resting her head against Scar's mane, "Sometimes even a wildebeest, if the hunt was good." Her stomach growled.

Scar smiled, of course, the hunt had always been good with Zira in charge, she may have been a little reckless with where she placed her anger in the pride, but she knew how to hunt far better than Sarabi's teams ever had. She had once, as a cub, come home to pride rock with a flamingo, an impressive catch even for an adult.

"I could murder a zebra." She muttered glumly, "Even a little one with mites and green bits."

Scar raised an eyebrow, he'd never seen her so genuinely desperate for something. "I suppose we could sneak into the pride lands." He suggested, "pick off one of the little sick ones, if we're quiet no-one'll ever know."

Zira grinned and began to get up, "I'll fetch my best hunters-"

Scar shook his head, "No, just us, I'm not sharing a meal fit for a king with them. Besides, the less of us go the better."

Getting into the pride lands was no problem, there were plenty of fallen locks and stepping stones to get across the alligator-infested river, and even the big, clumsy reptiles knew better than to try and fight Zira on a mission.

Once in the lands, a kind of intoxication filled the two, for a moment they fought the strange urge to race around in the grass playing like two cubs. They knew how dangerous this would be, and resisted.

"Simba's lionesses won't be out until dusk." Scar muttered, crouching down among the grass, "Let's just pick off a meal and-" he stopped, breathing in a few times. "…Do you smell that?"  
Zira sniffed, "…Another lion." She crouched down lower to the ground, "sorry, lioness. Young… a cub."

Scar snarled, only one thing was important about that scent in his mind, not it's gender, age or anything else. "It smells of Simba." His claws started to knead the ground. "It'll be his cub…"

Zira began to shuffle through the grass, Scar close behind her, searching for this cub.

"Tag! You're it!" a sweet, little girly voice called. "Tag, you're it! You're it!" she giggled.

Scar and Zira saw her then; a cub coloured golden, like her father, but with feminine features that spoke of Nala. Both scowled and crouched deeper, not sure about what they were going to do, but hating the cub all the same.

Scar's eyes widened as another scent caught him, and he spotted a dark brown cub, with a black tuft of fur on his head.

"Kovu!" he hissed.


	4. Kovu's mistake and Taka's scar

Kovu frowned at the little lioness, confused as to what she was doing. In the outlands, he didn't play much with his brother and sister, preferring to fight.

"Don't you know how to play?" Kiara questioned, then realisation dawned. "Oh…" she grinned, and crouched down, making an odd purring noise as she leapt about.

Kovu grinned, this he understood, and crouched down too, "Rar!"

His little rar was snatched away by the sudden loud roar of a huge golden lion who suddenly appeared over Kiara's little form. Before the lion could even look at Kovu, however, two more roars sounded, these the roars of Kovu's parents who appeared over him like magic.

"Scar!" the lion growled, then looked at the lioness, "Zira."

"Simba." Zira snarled.

Scar almost grinned at the astonishment on Simba's face at seeing him, battered, yes, but alive. He glanced around and saw that the cowardly boy had brought all his lionesses with him. "Nala."

Nala growled, "Scar. Zira."

"Nala." Zira almost purred.

To one side of the lions, a meerkat that was sitting on a warthog piped up, "Timon," he gestured to the warthog, "And Pumbaa. Great, now that we all know each other, GET OUTTA OUR PRIDE LANDS!!"

Zira snarled, "YOUR pride lands?!" she leant against her mate a little, "These lands belong to Scar."

Simba growled, "You two aren't even supposed to be alive. You were banished, now get out!"

Scar smirked, "Oh Simba, you wouldn't do that to your poor, eldery uncle, would you? Send us back to those lands where we have so little food, and less water..."

"What are you even doing here? Poaching?!" Nala snapped.

Zira made a shocked face, "We were searching for our cub." She leant down and nuzzled her face against the shivering Kovu. Scar almost laughed, Zira was a fine actress when the occasion arose.

"You both know the penalty!" Simba roared.

Scar glanced at his mate, then smirked to himself, "Oh Simba, we all know the law, outlanders are allowed to come here if they're searching for something of theirs. The only one guilty here is Kovu." He reached a paw out and pulled Kovu from the protection of his mother. "My Son, and your future king."

Kovu trembled at the sight of Simba's glare, so much so that his teeth chattered. In the background, Timon made a joke about the boy being a fuzzy maraca, not a king, it didn't lighten the situation.

Scar scowled. "He does not know the penalty. But if you need your pound of flesh, here." He pushed the cub towards Simba.

As the lions watched, Scar wieghed up his options, if Simba had become too much like Mufasa, he would attempt to kill Kovu, and if he even raised a paw to the cub, Scar was going to tear his throat out. If, on the other hand, he was still the same old weak-hearted Simba, he would walk away.

Simba stared at the shivering cub for a second, then closed his eyes. "Take him and get out. I never want to see you again." He leant down and picked up his own cub, the little lioness.

Zira growled and stepped forward to retrieve her child, while Scar continued to grin wickedly, "Well this was a pleasant family reunion. We must do it again some time." He stared down at the little lioness in Simba's mouth, letting out an evil snicker designed to give cubs nightmares.

All thoughts of Zebras forgotten, the two began to make their way towards the outlands. As they turned away, Kovu heard the lioness squeak out "Bye." And he quickly replied, "G'bye."

...in the outlands...

Vitani growled to herself as she tugged at the little root in the ground, there was no real reason for it, she was just bored and felt like killing something.

"Hey 'Tani, where's the lil termite?" Nuka whined, reaching his paw out to the root, "The chooosen one." He cut the plant and laughed like a hyena when his sister fell backwards and crashed into a rock.

She shook herself off, "Nuka! Where is he? Did you leave him on his own again?!"

Nuka rolled his eyes and rubbed his back against a tree in a last-ditch effort to stop the itching of his termite infestation. "Hey, it's every lion for himself, he can't always have mom and dad protecting him."

"Ohh, mother's gonna be mad, she told you to watch him!" Vitani growled, "But luckily she might be in the way when Daddy finds out and _slays_ you." The word 'slays' dripped from the lionesses mouth like poison, a talent she had picked up from her father.

Nuka rolled his eyes, "I don't see why he's so special anyway, I should be dad's heir, I'm the oldest, the smartest, the stronges- ARGH THESE TERMITES!!" he wailed, chewing at his own fur.

Vitani smirked to herself, "Why don't you tell mother and father that?" She nodded at the space behind Nuka.

Nuka spun around and grinned dopily, "Mother! Father! Hi!" He sensed the ice in the air as the two adults walked past without a word. "I caught some feildmice for your dinner! I left it by the—okay." He trailed off.

Zira placed Kovu on the ground next to his sister gently.

Vitani giggled and batted at his tail, "Hey Kovu, wanna fight?" She growled and crouched. The two cubs were world-class experts at games of rough and tumble, often not stopping until their mother separated them.

Scar took a moment to watch the two cubs, then turned on his eldest son, "You were supposed to be watching him!" he snarled, raising one paw as if to strike him, "You have ONE purpose in life, to care for your brother and you can't even do that right!"

Nuka yelped and bounced backwards in terror, eyes closed as he felt certain his father was going to teach him a lesson he would not soon forget.

"It's not his fault!" Kovu piped up, guilt in his bright green eyes. "I went off on my own!"

Scar's face went blank, and he lowered his paw, staring at it in astonishment, not believing that he had been so close to striking one of his own children. He knew the sting of such a blow, and had sworn to himself that he would never harm one of his cubs, for fear of turning into his father.

Zira scowled at the cub, "Kovu! Who is your enemy?!"

"Simba!" The cub squeaked, backing away from his mothers fury.

Zira advanced on him, "Who made us outsiders?!"

"Simba!" The cub repeated, dodging behind his father's legs.

"What have we told you about them?!" Zira growled, grasping the cub's tail and pulling him towards herself till he lay on his back, staring into her merciless gold eyes.

Scar let out a roar that silenced the lioness. "That's enough, Zira. He understands."

"I'm sorry mother!" Kovu whimpered. "…S-sh-she didn't seem so bad…" Kovu stammered out, "I th-thought we could be-"

"Friends?" Scar purred, nudging the cub to his feet. "You thought you'd get to the princess, and Simba would welcome you into his pride?" he lowered his head, "Trust me, Kovu, it would never work. You're better forgetting her and the pride lands." He turned and began to walk away. "We have a life here."

Zira frowned, confused and even slightly worried for her mate, leaving the cubs and going after him. "Scar?"  
Scar sat on a fallen tree that looked out over the pride lands. "I almost hit him."

"Nuka?" She asked, "Well he deserves it, if he can't do one simple thing-"  
Scar turned his head to look at her, "Zira, do you know who gave me this scar?" he pointed at the gash over his eye.

She shook her head, "Ahadi said Wildebeests did it."

"Of course he did," Scar muttered, remembering the day he had got the wound as clearly as he remembered Zira's face.

"Dad! Dad!" Prince Taka called, dashing up pride rock to where his parents lay sunbathing in the afternoon sun. He skidded to a halt beside them, "Look! I caught a mouse!" He dropped the little offering beside his parents.

Uhru, the queen, beamed at her youngest son, nuzzling her face against the adolescent lion. "Well done darling, very impressive when you think how fast they move."

Taka didn't react to her words but fixed his eyes on the large male beside her, whose black mane rose and fell slowly as he breathed.

"Your brother caught an antelope the other day." Was his only comment. He rose, "Speaking of whom, it's time he learned of the kings of the past." He rose his head and roared Mufasa's name, a sure-fire way to bring him running.

Taka scowled for a second, then suddenly perked up, "Can I come too dad? Please?" he grinned widely in what he hoped was a winning fashion.

Ahadi looked at him as though he had suggested he turn into a hyena and marry a meerkat. "Certainly not, you're not going to be king, it's of no use to you, and you'll only get in the way."

Taka's face fell, "I promise I won't! I'll be really quiet! You won't even know I'm there."

"You're not coming. Now shut up."

But Taka wasn't about to let those words stop him, and that night he followed his brother and father out into the grasslands to watch the stars. It would have worked, had Zazu not spotted him and started shrieking like a siren.

Ahadi approached the cub, furious. "I told you to stay away, you worthless little insect."

Taka whimpered, starting to back away from the older lion, "I just… I didn't mean to diso…"

"Dad! Please! It's not his fault!" Mufasa pled, "I asked him to come, punish me!" but the cries fell on deaf ears.

Ahadi stood over the boy, growling. "You are a nothing, you will never be king, you cannot care for the cubs, you cannot hunt, you are a worthless drain on the pride and I curse the day I ever laid eyes on you, you little piece of trash."

Taka had felt a flicker of rebellion in his heart, and suddenly growled, bringing a paw up as if to try to fight his father.

And his father had delivered a violent swipe to Taka's face that almost took his eye out. Taka had raced off yelping, and did not return to pride rock for a week, by which time the wound had set into a scar across his eye, and he'd made friends with three certain hyenas.

"…Why didn't you tell someone?" Zira asked, nuzzling Scar's mane in pity for his sad story.

Scar lowered his head to rest on his paws; "You wouldn't have believed me. Mufasa could have said something, but he was too busy learning to be king." Scar practically spat the word king.

"Poor Scar." Zira whispered, resting her head on his. "But it makes me wonder…" she trailed off.

"What is it Notch?"

Zira rubbed their heads together, "It's always been your dream to rule the pride lands, and now Kovu has a way of getting there you say no?"

"It was my dream once." Scar replied, not moving his gaze from the golden land. "…but it's funny, as you get older, dreams start to change. Do I want to rule those lands anymore? No." Scar turned and nuzzled her; "My dream now is to end my days with you and the cubs. If I can have that, then maybe I can be happy."

Zira purred, resting her head on his, "So, you're saying that killing your brother, banishing your nephew and taking over the throne could all have been avoided if someone had shown you a little love?"

Scar laughed, something he hadn't done in years. "When you put it that way I sound like such a psychopath."

"…Mom? Dad?"

The two turned their heads slightly. Nuka was standing at the base of the tree with about five field mice hanging by their tails in his jaws. He walked over and laid them beside his parents, then scampered off.

Scar raised an eyebrow, "I think he was trying to be apologetic." He sighed and watched the adolescent lion sitting by his two young siblings. "…The poor boy really is mine." He muttered.

"How so? You weren't quite so inept at that age." Zira pointed out, chewing on a field mouse.

Scar nodded, "but I was always in my brother's shadow through no fault of my own." He sighed, "Perhaps I'll consider taking him hunting properly. Maybe look into finding a lioness for him."


	5. All the difference

Sleep did not come easily that night for Scar. In his dreams he constantly relived the moment when he glared into his brother's eyes and let him fall. The moment he had seen Simba run away.

Only it was worse, because now, he tried to stop it. In the years since, he had found that all he wanted was to be cared for, and now he had that, but the past refused to die.

He rose, grumbling, and left the cave silently, taking care not to wake his pride. He made his way to the fallen tree and sat upon its highest point, watching the pride lands.

He glanced around, to make certain none were listening, then lowered his head. "If it helps at all, I'm… I'm sorry."

"Ah, well, bein sorry, dat can make all de difference in de world."

Scar's eyes leapt open to the sight of that mad old monkey Rafiki standing in front of him. "You?! What are you doing here? These are OUR lands." He growled, only to receive a whack on the nose.

Rafiki sniggered, "Now den, Taka, you wus sayin you be sorry? Fer whot? Dere's a lot dats your fault."

Scar growled, so, it was going to be one of those nights. "You know exactly what it is, you crazy old baboon, there's no point me repeating it. What matters is I'm sorry."

Rafiki giggled, hanging upside-down from a thinner tree branch. "Ahh, no, whot matters is dat you apologise to de right person, and dat's not me."  
Scar rolled his eyes, "If I set foot in the pride lands Simba will have me made into a rug."

"Not Simba, Taka. Noo, tis your brother who ye need to apologise to."

Scar raised an eyebrow. He was never told about the great kings of the past as a cub, nor of what convinced Simba to return. "Mufasa's dead and I don't trust that voodoo magic you do."

Rafiki shook his head, laughing, "Nope! Mufasa be alive! You look up dere at dem stars!"

Scar sighed and decided to humour the old creature, turning his gaze upwards.

The sky was full of shooting stars, thousands of them, and they seemed to be moving in the sky. There were some clouds gathering and forming the shape of a lion's face…

Scar stood bolt upright, eyes wide and mouth open in a most undignified manner. "Mufasa?"

The face laughed, "So astonished, little brother?"

"…You're dead."

Mufasa's image shook. "I live, I live in the spirit of my son and granddaughter, in the hearts and minds of all who remember me, and even in your own dark spirit, little brother."

Scar growled, "Just as always, when you were king, you talked like you ruled the earth, and now you're dead, you talk like god."

"Gods judge. I don't." Mufasa replied. "Taka, why did you never say anything?"  
"You wouldn't have cared." Scar snarled. "And my name is Scar!"

"Do you forget so soon how we leant on one another at mother's funeral? The times we played together as cubs? All the times I protected you?"  
"You mocked me for wanting to be king!" Scar snarled, trying to force down the memories of happier days. Days spent as a cub with his brother, playing with the other cubs of the pride without a care in the world, long before he even began to understand that he would be cast aside in favour of his brother.

Mufasa's eyes closed. "And for that I am sorry. Father and I both played a part in making you what you were, perhaps I even got what was coming to me, but my son was an innocent."

Scar sighed, feeling something lift. Mufasa had said sorry. He understood that Scar wasn't just born wicked. Somehow that made it easier. "…I know. And I'll make my apologies to him too, in time." He swallowed, trying to think of how best to say it. He often liked to make dignified and long speeches, but for once, he was lost for words, and found only the truth would do. "…I'm sorry too. For everything."

Mufasa smiled, "And I forgive you, little brother. Now take your pride to where they belong. I will have words with my son, and you will have to as well. At dawn's light, gather your mate and cubs and lionesses, and return to pride rock. Good luck, Taka."

Scar watched the image fade away, then turned and walked slowly back to his cave.

Simba tossed and turned, his mind full of disturbing images, his uncle dropping his father onto the endless stream of wildebeest, and then him too, the terror and anguish, it all surrounded him in a hellish vortex until he couldn't take it and woke with a start.

He left the cave in silence, to sit on the end of pride rock, sleep would not come easily tonight, and he felt he might as well watch the sunrise when it came.

"Simba."

He looked up at the sky automatically, "Father?"

His father's image appeared in the cloudy skies. "My son, I have something to ask of you." He paused, "What do you feel for your uncle?"

Simba's face was blank, then he thought. "…I…I don't know. I feel as though I could kill him, and yet still feel misery at his funeral."

"In other words, you still care." Mufasa replied. "It is understandable, he was and is your uncle. Simba, do you know how he got his scar?"  
Simba shook his head.

"Our father, your grandfather, gave it to him when he asked to come with us to see the kings of the past."

Simba's mouth dropped open, "Your father gave him… but… you told me Ahadi was a great king!"

"He was. I did not say he was a stellar father." Mufasa sighed, "And do you know what father named him?"

Simba frowned, "His name's Scar…"

Mufasa shook his head, "No, Simba, our father named him Taka, to mean 'Trash'. Do you start to see what I'm trying to explain?"

Simba lowered his head, "That no-one is born wicked, you have to be made that way, and maybe Scar had valid reasons for what he did…"

"He apologised."

"What?!" Simba gasped, looking up so suddenly he felt certain he'd injured his neck.

"I visited him in the outlands, and he apologised. He has done wrong, Simba, but the fact that he has said sorry and means it makes all the difference. It's your decision, of course, weather or not to let him back into the pride, but do consider it. He will come at dawn with his lionesses to hear your judgement. Simba, it is time to let go of the past."

Simba nodded. "I'll think about it." And he turned, heading back to his cave, "Goodnight father."

"Goodnight, my son."

The pride land animals spoke in hushed whispers as they stood around Pride Rock, Rafki had called them for a grand judgement by the king, but none knew whom he was judging. The lionesses stood as council on the end of Pride rock with their king, but they looked as confused as anyone did.

And then Simba let out a roar, and all fell silent. From the back of the crowd there was a shriek and the animals parted like the red sea.

Walking towards Pride rock, with no fear in his mismatched eyes, was Scar. Flanking him was his mate, their youngest cub in her jaws, and his eldest son on the other side, scraggly as he was, it was clear Scar trusted him, he was carrying a little lioness in his jaws, Scar's daughter. And behind this, there were a dozen other lionesses, thin and pale from lack of food and good sunlight, acting the part of a royal procession.

Animals began to mutter, "What's he doing here? It's Scar! How dare he show his face?" several looked as though they might attack, but they held back.

Scar halted in front of pride rock and sat down, a look of ill-deserved calm on his face. His lionesses and family also sat. They were waiting.

"Simba, what's going on?" Nala hissed to her mate.

Simba didn't remove his gaze from his uncle, "I'm making a choice." He stepped to the edge of pride rock. "Scar, you and your pride come here to receive judgement regarding rejoining the pride lands. Until recently, I would not have even listened to you plead your case, but… new information has reached me, and I will listen."

Scar nodded, "Very good, Simba, Mufasa couldn't have said it better himself." He cleared his throat, knowing that now he had to convince not only Simba, but all the creatures of the pride lands that he and his pride deserved to return. "There is no defence for what I have done, but I argue that my own father drove me to jealousy, and something in me craved the life my brother had. I always thought that meant I must be king, but what it meant is that I wanted a family. I have that now, and I realise that what I did is unforgivable." He bowed his head, "But for whatever it may mean to those who cared for my brother, I am deeply sorry."

Animals began to mutter again, some suspicious, some confused.

There was a long silence among the lions, and eventually that silence spread to the other animals, until not a sound was heard over the pride lands.

Simba rose to his feet. "…I pass my judgement upon you and your pride now." He took a deep breath...


	6. Simba's Judgement and Nuka's pride

Hehe, I left you all with a cliffhanger! pulls faces and if I keep writing all this author commentary stuff, i can keep you from finding out what's gonna happen! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Oh yeah, and I still don't own the lion king, just the plot to this story, touch that and I'll bite your fingers off. Rawr.

Simba felt the air of the pride lands linger in his body for a moment, and knew hwta he hd to do, the land would never be perfect or back to the way it was until all of the pride were back where they belonged.

"Welcome home Uncle Scar."

The animals let out a collective gasp, including the outsiders. Nuka was so surprised he dropped his little sister altogether.

Then someone started to cheer. It was probably Rafiki, but no-one knew, because suddenly the rest of the pride land animals were making a fuss, cheering and hooting and howling as Scar and his lionesses made their way up the rock to the rest of the pride.

Several of the outlanders ran to the pride lionesses, recognising sisters, mothers and old friends, rubbing their heads and purring like they would never stop. Zira made her way to Nala and for a moment the two queens eyed each other suspiciously. Then they began to talk of the hunt that evening, and soon seemed like old friends.

Kovu and Vitani made haste in racing over to Kiara and soon the three cubs were entangled in a game of rough and tumble, their fur mixing and making them a ball of colour, Nuka wandered over to some of the younger lionesses to brag about how he was still technically royalty. Only Scar sat at the edge of the jutting out rock, regarding them all with oddly warm eyes.

"…Uncle Scar?"

He looked up, Simba was sitting directly in front of him at a safe distance, and for a moment there passed between the two lions a strange feeling of something heavy finally lifting, of the past being put behind them. For a moment Simba was that innocent cub again, and Scar his sometimes genuinely caring uncle.

Simba walked over slowly, "You've… raised a fine family. Is the eldest yours?"

Scar rolled his eyes, "Yes, and I don't know how he happened either." He sighed, "He smells, he can't hunt, he's infested with things I don't care to mention and he couldn't find his tail without help. But he's my son and I love him."

Simba smiled and nodded. "You'll have to introduce me to them. I don't even know their names." He smiled, "My own cousins and I don't know their names…"

Scar nodded. "Nuka, Vitani and Kovu"

"Smell, Devil and Scar?" Simba replied, eyebrow raised.

Scar grinned, "I suppose you and your mate were much more creative, to come up with 'Princess' all by yourself like that."

Simba noticeably blushed, then turned his face to the sky. The sun was coming out from behind a cloud. "Dad told me about what happened, when you were a cub."

"I'd rather forget it." Scar cut in, "If it's all the same to you."

"Do you want to go back to your original name?" Simba asked, looking like he meant well.

Scar turned and narrowed his eyes, "Would you?" he shook out his mane and sighed, "No. I'm Scar, Taka died a long time ago."

Simba looked blank for a few seconds, then gently bumped his head against that of his uncle's in a gesture of slight affection. "Well, whichever you are, I'm glad you're home."

A few years passed, things began to change. Nuka flourished in the pride lands, several Lionesses took it upon themselves to teach him to hunt, and when he fell in a lake during one of these hunting trips he was cured of the termite infestation and the reek was gone from his body. He finally started showing signs of being Scar's real son, showing some semblance of a brain behind his crazed eyes. His mane never really grew in, remaining like a hyena's crest, but he did manage to attract a few lionesses.

One day he meekly approached Simba, several lionesses following him for moral support.

"Y-your highness?" he stammered out.

Simba looked at the boy calmly, "What is it Nuka?"

"I…I was thinking…. I… I am technically a prince, right?"

Simba raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Yes, Prince Nuka the first, eldest son of Prince Scar, brother to Princess Vitani and Prince Kovu."

Nuka swallowed, his confidence growing, "Then, I'm entitled to some power, yes?"

Simba groaned in his mind, hoping the boy wasn't going to try to challenge him for the throne, because he knew that he could hurt the young lion, and though Scar disliked the boy, he also cared about his oldest son, he didn't much like the iade of having to explain to Zira and Scar why he had injured their boy.

"I Suppose…" he answered tentatively.

Nuka suddenly got the most pathetic and pleading face Simba had ever seen. "Then can I please have some land for me and my lionesses? I promise to take care of it! I just want a chance to be a leader!" he glanced back at the females and his confidence grew slightly, "I know I could make dad proud if i had the chance!"

Simba's face was blank for a moment, then he smiled warmly, the boy was so desperately eager to please and make his father proud. How could he possibly refuse?

He gave them some land on the southern border, far enough so that the small pride had to be self-reliant, but near enough to get to pride rock in emergencies, he was still a little unsure about Nuka's abilities.

The day Nuka left his siblings had made an unusual amount of fuss, the two still quite young, they jumped over and around the brother, nuzzling his head and tugging his tail and begging him to stay just one more day.

"I'm sorry guys," Nuka protested, pulling free of their crushing embraces, "I've gotta go and make something of myself." He made his way out onto the jut of pride rock, his parents waiting at the end.

Slowly he approached them, head down out of respect. The first thing he felt was his mother nuzzling and licking his head, something she hadn't done since he was a cub.

"You'll do fine, my little Nuka." She whispered, purring against his head and letting him go once she was satisfied he knew how much she truely did care for him, even if at times she didn't show it.

Nuka swallowed and looked up at the stern face of his father. "…I… I promise to make you proud father!" he declared, "I know I'm not what you wanted, but I promise I'm going to do my best!"

Scar looked stunned for a moment, then he actually smiled and nudged the boy's head with his, though he had never much liked contact with Nuka. "I know you'll try your best, but you don't need to make me proud of you," Scar looked his son in the eyes, completely honest, "It's hard to tell, but I already am."

Nuka's face lit up with the biggest, dopiest smile his parents had ever seen, and as tradition demanded, he moved to the end of pride rock, allowed Rafiki to bless him and his pride, and then lifted his head.

Scar and Zira both smiled nervously, any other lion at this point was expected to roar to signify his adulthood, but they had never heard Nuka manage more than a squeak.

But perhaps this time luck was on Nuka's side, because he took a deep breath, tossed what little of his mane there was back and opened his mouth to let out a gargantuan roar that drew the attention of all the pride lands and proved once and for all that Prince Nuka was now a King.


	7. Vitani the Angel

One bright day in the spring, Vitani and Kiara were out hunting together in the grasslands, chattering away to one another about whatever happened to cross their minds and genuinely enjoying their time together, like sisters.

Kiara sighed and reached a paw to try and catch a butterfly near her head, "How old is Kovu now?"

Vitani put her head on one side, "Can't be much older than you," she let out a low giggle, "He'll be getting his mane soon, I bet." She reached to bat at the butterfly for Kiara.

Kiara imagined this for a moment, Kovu was at the moment stuck in the awkward in-between stage all male lions went through, his mane was growing in, but at the moment he looked like a strange lion/hyena half-breed. Still, she mused, when it grew in properly he would certainly be a sight to behold, a Prince of the realm to make her father and Guncle Scar immensely proud.

She mentally laughed at the word she used to describe Scar. As a cub she had found it too much effort to say 'Great Uncle' every time she referred to him, so he became a Gruncle. Still, he didn't seem to mind, he even seemed sort of flattered that she would think up a special word for him, and he treated her as a second daughter, allowing her to paw at his tail and climb all over him as a cub, and as she grew up, her father and ageing uncle's pride in her seemed perfectly matched.

Of course, Zira had been different, but Kiara expected that, Zira was utterly devoted to her mate and disliked anyone who took his time from her. Still, Zira knew Scar cared for Kiara, and that was enough to keep her happy. She was no second mother, though, unlike Scar, who so obviously thought of Kiara as his other little girl. Vitani would always come first, of course, but Kiara was a close second.

At the idea of two fathers, Kiara's thought moved to her second cousins, Nuka had been odd, while he was in the pride, he would tolerate babysitting on the odd occasion, but always let Kiara know when she was pushing his temper, and when Nuka got mad, the pride knew about it, he tended to go into short, sharp bursts of fury that only stopped with a roar from his mother, or an icy glare from Scar.

Vitani, on the other hand, readily accepted Kiara into the family as a surrogate sibling, taking her and Kovu on hunting trips and playing with them both, even once allowing Kiara to curl up asleep with them.

And Kovu… Kiara blushed a little. She could never think of Kovu as a brother, never. There was something about him that she couldn't put her claw on that made him less a brother and more a close friend. She adored him, of course, but in a different way to Vitani and Gruncle Scar.

"You're quite taken with him, aren't you?" Vitani purred sneakily, nudging the younger lioness as though she had read her thoughts.

Kiara blushed, "No!"

"Don't worry," Vitani winked one of her bright green eyes. "I won't tell him." She lifted her head to breathe in the air and get the scent of the herds.

A strange smell reached her and she crouched, tugging Kiara down with her. "I smell a lion." She growled.

Kiara's eyes lit up with fear, well aware of the damage a male could do to the two lionesses, alone out here. And what if he challenged Simba for the pride? Her father was a strong lion, but not as strong as he once was, and Scar would be of little use in a fight, he was more suited to hunting.

"How far away is it?" She whimpered.

Vitani breathed in again, "Not far. Kiara, I want you to run to pride rock, fetch Simba, Or my father, or Kovu, or all three. Just fetch one of the lions." She gave her a serious look, "And don't dawdle, because I can only fight a male for so long."

Kiara nodded, then turned and took off sprinting through the tall grass. Vitani tensed, ready if the lion burst through the bush, and began to creep, and if she could take it by surprise then perhaps she would be able to send it yelping back to its bachelor group.

To her astonishment, when she finally found the lion, she could not have been more wrong about having to fight.

It lay in the grass, covered in mud and dust and panting heavily, a mass of blood coming from various wounds on its large body. She couldn't even tell if it was alive or recently deceased. She found herself feeling glad she'd sent the weak-hearted Kiara back to pride rock, the lioness wanted to be a hunter, but she went pale and squeaky at the sight of a fresh kill.

She approached with caution and nudged its mighty head, "Are you alright?"

He didn't respond, but his chest still rose and fell with breath. She sighed and lapped his face, to see if that would revive him.

One eye fluttered open and stared up at her, "...Are you an angel?"

Vitani laughed at that, she had to, "No, I'm Vitani." She sat beside the wounded lion, "You know, you're in lands that already have two adult males and an adolescent. It's not safe for you here."

The lion coughed, "Have I wandered so far from my homelands?"

Vitani frowned to herself, he had a strange accent that she didn't recognise, and his build was different to a pride land lion, he was heavier-set and his mane was much thicker. "What happened to you?"

He sighed and gasped, "I was attacked while hunting, I picked up the scent of a pride and thought that I may seek shelter… Are you the queen?"

Vitani blushed, "No."

"You must be noble blood though…" he attempted a smile, "I don't believe I've seen as beautiful a lioness in all my days…"

Vitani felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. "…Thank you."

"Vitani!!" Scar's roar cut into the moment as he raced up, Kiara close behind him. He skidded to a halt beside his daughter and observed the injured lion with careful eyes. "…Well, he's no threat. He would be if he was well, but I shouldn't think he could fend off anything like that."

The lion coughed again, "I assure you, I have no interest in fighting anyone."

Vitani nuzzled her head against her father's, a sure-fire way to convince him of anything, "He got hurt hunting, wandered out of his lands by mistake. Can we help him father?" she moved to stand beside Kiara and the two lionesses grinned in unison, "Pleeease?"

Scar sighed and looked down at the lion, clearly he didn't much like having to make this decision, and asked, "Can you walk?"

The lion struggled to get to its feet, "I can try, sir, if I take it slowly."

"Come on then, we can at least let Rafiki take a look at you." Scar decided. He turned to Kiara and Vitani "Although it's up to Simba if he can stay, you know. I'm not the one you have to convince, so stop grinning like that."

Simba did allow the lion to stay, just until he was well enough to travel. As Rafiki treated his wounds, the lion explained that he was a member of a neighbouring pride, respected but clumsy during hunting due to bad eyesight, and had got hurt rather badly this time.

Rafiki nodded to himself while the lions and lionesses shared their sympathy for the strange traveller. "Ah, Now tell dem why you 'ave de bad eyesight."

The lion smiled, "Your shaman is very bright." He lifted his head and shook his mane from around his face, revealing a pair of bright pink eyes.

The lionesses all gasped, Simba actually backed away in surprise for a moment, but Vitani just looked intrigued, stepping closer to examine him. "…You're not like us, are you?" She asked, brushing one paw over his leg to remove the caked-on dirt and showing a coat of fur as white as jasmine flowers.

"I'm an albino." The lion replied, "most say I'm dashed rare, and not bad to look at, but I have such terrible sight and I burn very easily in the summer."

Scar, who had not moved during this whole exchange, suddenly piped up, "Now I know who you are… Ahadi often spoke of a pride of white lions, King Juruga, by any chance?"

The male laughed, though it must have hurt, "No, that's my father. I'm Prince Kimba." He looked from Simba to Scar, "Am I to assume I'm speaking to Mufasa and Taka?"

The pride looked uneasily at him, but Scar smoothly replied, "No, my brother died some time ago, you're addressing King Simba and Prince Scar."

Kimba didn't question any of this, just nodded easily, a charm in his personality taking over; "My father always holds your pride in high regard. It's good to see the family still in power." He coughed, "Not to be rude, but I would love to take news to my father of the successors for you."

Simba shook his head, "Not at all." He nodded at Kiara, "This is my daughter, Kiara, she is the next in line. Beside her is Kovu, another Prince of the realm, I daresay one day he'll have a fine pride of his own…"

Kimba's eyes fixed on the pretty figure of Vitani, who was helping Rafiki clean the muck from his coat. "And this angel?"

Scar laughed and Zira purred, "Our Daughter, Princess Vitani."

"I knew she must be noble blood." Kimba murmured to himself as Rafiki's healing herbs began to make him sleepy, "She is so very beautiful."


	8. Love and White Lions

Weeks passed, Kimba grew well again, as the time approached that he must leave, he began to spend his time taking tours of the kingdom, although whenever he went with one of the lions he would always seem distracted and only half-awake. It was with Vitani that he truly came alive, listening to her every word and play-fighting with her in the long grass.

It so happened that one night the two spent longer out in the lands than they intended. It grew so late that the stars emerged, they could not travel fast as Kimba was still recovering, and had to rest often, so Vitani decided that she would teach him an old game she had often played with Kovu and Kiara.

"The idea is to find shapes in the stars." She explained, lying down on her back. "Like, you see that bundle over there? If you join them to those two over there, it looks like…"

"A mouse." Kimba finished for her, with a laugh, "Oh, I haven't played this in years. Father's always so busy and I don't have any brother or sisters." He looked across at Vitani, "Not like you, you're truly blessed to have Kovu and Kiara."

Vitani kept her eyes on the stars, as though they would hide her pride at those words. "I know. They're great kids, and Kiara's going to be a wonderful queen one day."

Kimba frowned to himself, "And what about you, Vitani? You are a princess, don't you ever want to be a queen?"

Vitani felt her mind go blank. "I don't envy Kiara, if that's what you mean."

"Being jealous and wanting something aren't the same thing though." Kimba sighed, "Your father was jealous, and that's what drove him down that dark path, but just wanting something is completely different."

Vitani tried to think, "Well… " She sighed heavily, "Yes, I do want to be a queen. I think I'd be good at it. But it'll never happen, Kiara's a good girl, she'll marry well and have lots of cubs."

"It could happen though." Kimba spoke suggestively. "If you married a prince."

Vitani rolled her eyes, not picking up on the tone in his voice. "Yeah, because princes stumble into the kingdom all the time. And even if they did, they'd want Kiara over me." Her voice became softer, as though she herself were becoming more vulnerable. "Kiara's younger, and she's got a better pedigree, she's closer to the throne and she's prettier than me."

"Prettiness is fleeting, beauty is forever." Kimba replied in a comforting tone. "And as I have told you many times, you are very beautiful Vitani."

Vitani blushed and turned onto her side to look at him. "Thank you." Her voice came out in a sigh, it was becoming harder for her to not become attached to him, but she knew he would be gone sooner or later.

And all too soon the day came when the pride knew he had to leave. It was a sad time for many; they had grown to like the white lion prince and his charming ways. None were so sad as Vitani to see him go, and she spent much of that day on the top of pride rock watching his pale shape retreating into the horizon.

"Room for two?" Scar's smooth voice questioned as he settled himself beside the lioness.

Vitani shrugged, something she didn't do much because she knew her father loathed it, he said it was a poor excuse for being too lazy to speak. Today, however, he did not chide her.

"You're going to miss him, aren't you?" Scar asked, watching the shape with eyes the same shade as his child's.

Vitani lowered her head. "He said I was beautiful. No-one's ever said that about me before… except for you, and you don't count-"

"Because I'm your father." Scar finished for her. "he did seem very taken with you." The older lion sighed and turned to look at the lioness his cub had become. She could deny it as much as she wanted, she was beautiful, slim like Zira, thick fur like him, she took the best of both of them and made it her own, so much about her was her own now, it was clear she was finally grown up.

"…You love him, don't you?" Scar spoke softly to her.

Vitani gazed up at her father, her emerald eyes big and sad, "I do."

"Then don't worry." Scar nuzzled his face against hers, remembering that once upon a time, his head had been bigger than her entire body, and she had laid in his mane for hours on end, content to be close to him. "He'll come back."

And he did, bringing with him two more white lions, his mother and father, who went off with Simba, Nala, Scar and Zira one afternoon to have what they told the cubs was a 'grown-up chat'. Vitani tagged along in secret behind the adults, taking care to remain downwind.

"Well," the white king began, "Firstly I wish to thank you for taking care of the boy. He's our only child, it's leave the kingdom in complete chaos if he were to die."

Simba merely nodded, "Not a problem, but there must be other reasons for travelling all this way?"

The albino lioness cut in before her husband, "Yes, Kimba came home full of talk about a princess who lives here. He may not even be aware of it, but as I'm sure you two ladies are aware," she nodded to Nala and Zira, "A mother knows when her son falls in love."

Nala blushed slightly, "I'm afraid I wouldn't know, I only have a daughter, though I'm sure I'll be the first to know when she does fall for some lion."

Zira purred and nuzzled her head against Scar's chest, purely because she loved to be seen to be his mate, "I've got two boys, one's too young for love yet, but you're right, I knew the moment when Nuka fell hard and fast for someone."

Scar raised an eyebrow at her, "You might have told me, I've been trying to work out which one of those lionesses is his mate for weeks."

The assembled felines laughed together and finally Simba spoke again.

"So, your son has fallen for a princess here? I suppose you have come to propose a match?"

The king nodded his large white head, "Yes. We understand the lady in question is Princess Kiara?"

Vitani's eyes widened, and then closed rapidly to try and blink away the painful tears that suddenly leapt to the surface. Her head hung low, she began to walk back to the den, intent on hiding away in the back forevermore.

Scar frowned to himself, "Now hang on just one second-"  
Nala cut him off, "Kiara isn't ready to marry anyone yet, and in any case, she barely spent any time with your boy."

The king frowned, clearly confused, "But… he said she took him on tours of the kingdom, that she was the one who found him."

His queen added, "he called her 'angel'."

Realisation dawned across the pride landers faces.

Simba stood up, calm and collected, "Well then, you have no need to speak to me or my mate. It's not our daughter your son is besotted with." He nodded his head at Scar and Zira, "It's theirs."  
For a moment the white lion pair looked stunned, then the queen stammered, "They're royalty?"

"Prince and Princess of the realm, thank you very much." Scar muttered. "Our children are technically speaking royalty, and we do have a daughter, Vitani."  
Zira nodded, grinning at the looks of shock on the noble white faces, "And Kimba did call her 'Angel' all the time he was here."

Negotiations took less than an hour, and then Scar excused himself to go find his daughter and introduce her to her future in-laws. He began to get concerned when he was told by a rather squeaky-voiced Kovu that she hadn't been around all afternoon.

Slowly he walked into the darkened den and whispered, "Vitani?"

"Go away." Came the curt reply. Scar smiled and walked deeper inside to when his daughter was slumped.

He sat beside her stretched out form, "Now what's put you in this mood?"

Vitani gave him a glare so full of hatred for a moment Scar considered backing away, but he held his ground. "What's put me in this mood?! You arranging for Kimba to marry that silly little feather of a lioness Kiara is what's put me in this mood!" She snarled, not meaning the insults at all, but taking out her anger the only way she knew how. "You _knew_ I love him Daddy! You _knew_ and you did it anyway!" tears were forming in the corners of her eyes now, her reserve breaking.

Scar smiled in a warm, fatherly manner, "Vitani, I think you may have got the wrong end of a very long stick."  
"Eh?" was her only response, staring blankly at her father.

"What your father means," came Kimba's charming voice from the cave mouth, where he stood wearing the biggest smile Vitani had ever seen, "Is that you and I are now engaged."

For a moment Scar was sure there were two of his daughter, she moved so fast across the cave floor to Kimba's side. Suddenly she was rubbing her head against his and purring that she loved him, and his response was that he honestly did love her too.

The two youngsters were wed, and the prides celebrated; though at the end of the day when it was time for Vitani to leave, the happiness turned to a stunned realisation that's she really was leaving.

Tears running down her cheeks, the young lioness had nuzzled up to her parents and allowed them to hold her in a way they hadn't since she was a cub. Softly she promised to visit them whenever she could, and swore to never forget her pride.

And she never did, coming to visit at least once a season, bringing news about her new life as a queen, of the beautiful lands she ruled and the magnificent animals that she hunted, and one beautiful summer day she had walked up onto the rock, a truly lovely adult now, and stepped aside to show her entire family her pride and joy, a pure white lioness cub. With utter delight in her voice she told her parents that this was their first grandchild, Princess Kamaria.


	9. The Lion King

As for Kovu, he and Kiara grew up together as best friends, often getting themselves into trouble in the process of exploring the pride lands, but whenever Simba tried to scold them, his uncle was never far away to point out all the trouble Simba had caused as a cub.

Kiara became more beautiful each day, pale gold in colour, her mothers face and father's eyes lent themselves well to turning her into a queenly lioness, even if she did much prefer playing to learning to rule and point-blank refused to listen to Zazu.

And Kovu took his fathers looks, but with the nurturing of the pride he became far stronger than Scar had ever been in his youth, the young lion's black mane grew thick and lush, his brown fur shiny with health, green eyes so similar to Scar's, but with an inner intelligence that was completely Zira. Handsome as he was, whenever the young lionesses of the pride approached him, he acted as though he could not care less, instead choosing to stay by Kiara's side. He often claimed that he was merely trying to teach the clumsy lioness to hunt as well as he did, though it was plainly ovbious to all the parents involved what was happening between the two.

The heat was almost unbearable the day that the two were finally caught. Scar, Zira and Simba were laying in the den, watching the young Kiara playing with her mother on the prow of pride rock. Zira pointedly refused to go and play with them, she much preferred to be at Scar's side; her devotion really was touching.

Kovu had walked into the den looking much more cheerful than the adults, he was dripping wet, obviously he'd been for a early morning swim to hold off the heat. Grinning he lay down on his father's right side, "Hot?"

Scar raised an eyebrow at his son, then turned to Zira, "Dearest, notify everyone in the pride, the boy's obviously a genius!" he spoke sarcastically.

Kovu laughed, he knew his father didn't mean it, and rubbed his damp head against his father's, "Sorry. Hey! Why don't I take Kiara out for a hunt and we'll bring back a zebra for the pride?"

The three adults instantly brightened at the idea of fresh meat without having to go hunting themselves. Simba nodded his head against the cool floor of the den as he was laying on his side, "Go ahead, more fool you two trekking all that way and dragging a kill back."

Kovu stood up, still with that lovely smile that none of the lions could identify as being from his mother or father. "Ah, it's not so bad if you're still young and fit." He replied cheekily.

Simba made a half-hearted growling noise, but he wasn't mad, no-one could ever stay mad at Kovu.

It was Scar who gave the boy an icy look, "You watch your lip, you may be a bit older but you're not so old I can't give you a good whack." He lifted one paw to prove it, though he would never ever strike one of his cubs, the threat always put them back in line.

Kovu's ears flattened and his tail drooped, "Sorry Simba, and to you too dad."

Scar nodded, "Good enough, now go catch us something, there's a good boy."

Kovu grinned and ran back outside, within moments he and Kiara were joyfully scampering through the gross towards the thicker grasslands where the animals grazed.

Around noon, Scar and Simba made their first real effort that day to get outside. They made it to the end of pride rock and stopped, the heat was too much to go on.

"The cubs must be enjoying themselves, at least." Simba commented, looking at the sky, "They've been gone a while."

Scar smiled, "You know Kovu, he won't stop until your girl's got her technique right."

"True enough. I love Kiara to pieces, but she is such a klutz sometimes…" Simba muttered, and the two lions chuckled together. "It's good of Kovu to try and teach her, especially when he could be concerning himself with finding a mate."

Scar nodded, taking a moment to stretch, "He's a good boy, loves it here, loves his family." He paused as he went through his son's actions with the pride. That wasn't quite right, yes, the boy was respectful to Simba and Nala, and he adored his mother and presumably Scar too, the boy pined away for his brother and sister, but when it came to Kiara.

"You're wrong, you know." Simba answered before Scar could speak, "Kiara's a special case. He'd never spend this much time on any other lioness, not even Zira or Vitani. I'm not saying he doesn't care for them, but-"

"He cares for Kiara _more_." Scar finished. He breathed in, "Well, this is a fine mess, eh? What do you think Kiara feels for him?"

Simba laughed in his deep, rumbley way; "She thinks the world of him. Nala says that sometimes all she'll talk about to the lionesses is Kovu." He sighed, "I don't think we have to worry about it being one-sided, what we have to worry about is if it's just a teenage infatuation."

Scar nodded, it was astonishing how often Simba was so right about things. Not that he'd ever tell the boy that, old habits died hard, and Scar didn't like to give Simba the impression he respected him. He breathed in again, meaning to ask what they ought to do, but caught an odd scent and sniffed again.

"Do you smell that?" he growled, not liking the strange scent at all.

Simba frowned in confusion, sniffing a few times, then muttered, "Smoke. The heat must have set off the grasses. Bugger, now I'll have to sort out some new grazing lands and-"  
Scar head butted Simba hard, "I think you're forgetting something, you royal ignoramus."

Simba blinked twice, then his mouth dropped open, "The cubs!" he ran to the ledges that allowed the lions access to the ground and turned to look at Scar, "Come on! We have to find them!"

Simba and Scar searched as best they could with the flames still licking higher, calling for the two youngsters and hoping beyond hope that somehow they might have survived. They spent hours out there, until it was too dangerous for them to continue looking and in any case, there was no way they could be hard over the roaring of the flames. The two went back to pride rock looking disgraced, but as both their mates assured them, perhaps Kovu and Kiara were alright, there was still a chance, after all.

It turned out they need not have worried so much. It only took an hour for Kovu to appear at pride rock with Kiara unconscious on his back. Both smelt of scorched fur and Kiara had acquired a cut on her back that looked rather like a set of teeth marks, but both were very definitely alive.

While the princess was being cared for by the other lionesses, the three males sat out on the jut of pride rock, watching the fire die.

"So, how did you say she got that cut?" Scar asked calmly, not moving his gaze from the fire.

Kovu noticeably blushed, "I didn't. I think something bit her."

"Really?" Simba muttered, raising an eyebrow.

Scar prodded the boy in the side, "You know, now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing any herds in the grasslands recently."

Kovu was by now bright red, and clearly considering legging it. "Well, we saw a rabbit, and-"  
"Kovu, stop it, you're a bad liar and it's obvious to everyone but the completely stupid what you and Kiara have been up to." Scar muttered.

Kovu looked at Simba in blind panic; "It's not like that! Dad doesn't know what he's talking about!"

Simba actually started to laugh at that, "For goodness sake Kovu, you're digging a very deep hole for yourself."

Kovu sighed and lowered his head, mane falling around his face for a second, "It's not like it's just cuz of mating season…. I love her." He mumbled, "And if you want me to leave the pride I won't go anywhere without her."

Simba and Scar looked at each other for a second, identical smirk on their faces, then Simba patted the boy's back, "I'd better get Rafiki to arrange a wedding then, I suppose."

Within a week the cubs were wed. It was a lovely procession that made its way up the jut of pride rock that day, Scar and Zira leading, as the eldest members of the pride, then Simba and Nala, then finally the newlyweds.

The three couples stood there for a moment, allowing the animals below to view them. Then Simba muttered to Kovu, "Ever shown yourself as a king before?"

Kovu blinked in confusion, "eh?"

Scar smirked, "He said, have you ever shown the lands you're a king before?"

Kovu shook his head, wondering why Kiara'a eys had lit up with joy. "What does that mean?"

Zira chuckled and nuzzled his forehead, "It means you're about to be named the next in line for the throne."

"You do it like this." Simba hissed, then threw his head back and let out a magnificent roar, followed closely by Scar's own deep rumble, their mates joining them to create yet more noise.

"Your turn." Kiara whispered to her mate.

Kovu grinned, then let out the loudest roar of his life, feeling his body swell with a strange and joyous feeling. He knew it at once; this feeling was pride, the pride of a Lion King.


End file.
